UFC Fight Night 29's Joey Beltran: 'I've spilled enough blood'

If you’ve been riding the UFC train for the past three years, you’ve gotten to know light-heavyweight Joey Beltran for one thing: brawling.

Beltran seems uniquely suited for the activity, because in all but one of his trips to the octagon, he’s been able to take a lot of punishment and keep pushing forward.

The style has made “The Mexicutioner” something of a sure thing to UFC matchmakers, who’ve largely paired him with opponents that favor a standup affair over a smothering ground fight.

Beltran (14-8 MMA, 4-5 UFC), though, is struggling with the consequences of his choices in the cage. He’s managed to keep his job, but brawling is taking its toll on his body, and it’s also costing him half his potential pay when he’s not successful.

Following a nine-month suspension for a positive steroid test, he sits at 4-5 in the UFC, and could very well be cut with a loss to Fabio Maldonado (19-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC), whom he meets in the FOX Sports 1-televised main-card of UFC Fight Night 29, which takes place at José Corrêa Arena in Barueri, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Beltran wants to put on a show, but there’s a far more important need to fulfill in the fight.

“The most important thing is bringing money home to my family,” he told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “I love the fans, but if they can’t understand that, then oh well, I’m not going to get mad. I’ve entertained them quite enough. I’ve spilled enough blood. Now’s the time to get some wins, put together a run, and make the most of my career.

“I’m a little bit older now and a little bit smarter, and as far as my approach to training and the whole game, I’m excited to go out there and fight. There’s no way around it, we’re going to punch each other in the face, and it’s going to be entertaining. But I do feel I have a broader skill set than him, so it would be foolish of me to think that I could stand in the middle and trade punches for an extended period of time with a 22-0 professional boxer.

“Am I going to do it? Yeah, because I’m hard-headed and Mexican and I like to fight. But I’m going to go for the win.”

Maldonado shares Beltran’s love for a slugfest, but brings a level of technicality to his engagements that makes him a favorite. The Brazilian got a big reception from the fans at the event’s official weigh-ins.

Like Beltran, however, Maldonado holds a losing record in the UFC with two wins and three losses, so changes may be in store for him when he walks into the octagon.

Beltran’s evolution was evident in his most recent fight, which came against Igor Pokrajac at UFC on FX 6. He mixed punches with takedowns and smothered the Croatian fighter en route to a unanimous decision, which was later overturned when he was flagged for performance-enhancers.

“It’s been a little bit of on-the-job training for me as far as my UFC career,” Beltran said. “When I came in, it was pretty easy to see I was brought in to lose against Rolles Gracie, and that didn’t really work out, and then I was able to get another win against a much larger opponent, Tim Hague, in his home country.

“I’m not going to lie and say I’m the most technical person, and I’m not going to lie and say I am now, but I’ve picked up some new skills along the way. I’m still going to be me, but the most important thing is to win, and I’m going to win by any means necessary.”

And yet, Beltran believes his new approach to MMA will still lead to a finish, which in the UFC is what brings the most value to a fighter.

“I believe I’m going to finish [Maldonado] in the middle of the third round,” he said, adding, “He’s a tough bastard. That’s why.”

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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